The Stripper Pole
by Helvistica
Summary: The Medical Examiner stiffed as Jane husked into her ear, "Maura. I found something in one of your bedrooms…" Maura tilted her head a fraction before answering, "Oh! What… what… did you find?" Maura's cheeks began to turn pink, tingles of electricity ran down her spine as Jane breathed into her ear...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I wrote a thing on Tumblr about Jane finding a stripper pole in one of Maura's bedrooms. Someone suggested writing an actual story about it. So here is what I think would happen if Jane did, in fact, find a stripper pole in Maura's house. Please note that this is un-beta-ed, so of course, every single mistake is my own (because I wrote the thing). Feel free to constructively criticize the work. (NB As I am Australian, some words and/or phrases may not be common in your country. I have tried hard to make all idioms as generic as I possibly can. If you find something that doesn't make sense, please let me know so I can rectify it)**

It had been the coldest winter Boston had seen in several years. The combination of several feet of snow and ice as well as freezing, gusty winds, mixed in with a grisly, unsolved murder, made everyone's tempers extraordinarily short. None more so than one, Detective Jane Rizzoli. The ill-weather and murder combined with her often cantankerous demeanour left the dark-haired Detective's family and co-workers cowering whenever she walked into the room. Everyone was cold, tired and cranky. No such time was it more evident than at Maura Isles' Beacon Hill home one Sunday evening.

An unpredicted heavy snow drift had set in, blocking everyone's cars in until the morning, when they could be dug out. So, after the shittiest week known to mankind, Jane was stuck, for an entire night, in a house with her family, Korsak, Frost and Maura. Jane sighed and rolled her eyes. _Fucking great. Just fucking great, _she moaned to herself. The beer in Maura's refrigerator and her mother's famous lasagne had gone some measure into soothing Jane's raw mood. She didn't like the idea of being holed up in Maura's house with so many people. _Thank god Maura has three bedrooms in this place_, Jane thought to herself. _Oh well, it's not so bad, _she thought, _at least there's still…_ "Hey, there's no beer left" lamented Frankie, calling out from the refrigerator, bent over with his butt up in the air. Out of nowhere, a loud metallic shuddering bang clanked out from the basement of Maura's house. "Oh no" said Maura sharply. Like lightening, she zipped through a door, down into her yoga studio-basement, with Jane, Angela, Frost, Korsak and Frankie trailing behind. After ten minutes of poking and prodding; banging; clanging and swearing at the furnace, it was decided that it had given up the ghost. According to Korsak and Frost the furnace was "Dead. Gone. Kaput" Jane didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry. _Fantastic… Just fan-fucking-tastic, this night could not get ANY better._

As if the Gods were smiling upon the unobtrusive yet luxurious Beacon Hill house, the electricity was still on. The group trundled back upstairs into the living room, and the always prepared Maura set about assigning tasks for the night ahead. She explained that it was much better for everyone to sleep in the lounge room, rather than the bedrooms, so they could be close to the warmth of the fireplace. Jane cried internally, at the thought of having to be ensconced in a room with a snoring, grunting and groaning group along with perpetual fart-machine Korsak, as well as either laying on the hard, timber floor or bent like a pretzel on the sofa. _Thank god Maura keeps a bottle of vodka in her freezer _Jane thought. The men set about getting Maura's fireplace cleaned out, lit and stocked up on firewood, and rearranged some of the furniture. Maura and Angela headed to the kitchen to make a large pot of hot chocolate. Much to Jane's displeasure, she was tasked by Maura to search the bedrooms of her house for some more blankets. Jane whined and rolled her eyes. "Why meeeee?" She cried as she stamped her foot.

"Janie. Stop being a three year old and just do it" demanded Angela, quickly becoming annoyed at Jane's childish attitude. Just as she was about to shoot a sarcastic comment at her mother, Jane was stopped as Maura placed a gentle hand on her forearm. "Jane," she said softly, "Please go and look for some blankets. For me?" Maura raised her eyebrow and gave her best 'sad puppy' face. Jane tilted her head and bit the inside of her mouth as she attempted not to smile. Not matter how hard she tried, Jane could never ever resist Maura when she looked at her with those puppy dog eyes. Jane huffed "OK" through gritted teeth, still determined not to smile. As Maura gave her arm a gentle squeeze and rub in thanks, Jane felt a twinge in her stomach. As if being pulled by an invisible magnet, Jane began to lean in towards Maura. After a heartbeat, Jane caught herself. _Woah! Stop! What was that? Was I about to kiss her? Goddamn Rizzoli… what the fuck are you doing?_ Maura smiled sweetly and winked at Jane as she dropped her hand. Without speaking, or even thinking… mostly because she could do neither … Jane turned and headed down the hallway to the bedrooms.

Before she made it to the entrance of the hallway, Grumpy Jane had returned. She trudged down the hallway towards the bedrooms. _This wouldn't be happening if it wasn't for my goddamn mother _she thought. Jane sighed as she remembered the conversation she had with her mother on Friday afternoon in the Boston PD Café. In spite of the predicted inclement weather, Angela Rizzoli, who still resided in Maura's guest house, insisted on commandeering Maura's well-equipped kitchen in order to cook a "Family Dinner" on Sunday night. Even with Jane's protests about it being too cold and miserable to leave the house, Angela decided her only course of action was to lay down a little Catholic Mother Guilt. _"Oh Jane, you have to come for dinner. You never know how long I'll be around for. And you know, I gave birth to you, I got stretch marks for you. I raised you and took care of you when you were sick. I helped with your homework and school projects..." _The list went on and on until Jane couldn't take it anymore._ "Jesus Christ Ma! ALRIGHT! I'll come!" _her voice echoed around the half-empty BPD café.

"_Oh Janie, you've made your old mother so happy" _squealed Angela, throwing her arms around her daughter who immediately began to squirm. You wouldn't say Jane was not a hugger, as such... It's just she thought there was always a time and place for intimacy and physical contact. And at 3pm on Friday afternoon, the Boston PD Café was a place for neither of those things. Jane cringed as she sought to free herself from her mother's grasp._ "Fine... whatever..." _she grunted free from her mother's grasp._ "I gotta go Ma. I'll see you on Sunday" _Jane said, turning to head out the café door. _"OK honey! Oh… and don't forget to invite Detective Frost and Detective Korsak"._

Jane shook her head as she silently cursed her mother. _I could be at home right now… On my ass… On the sofa… Drinking beer… Snuggled under a blanket, watching a movie with Maura_, she bemoaned to herself, before stopping in front of Maura's bedroom door... _Maura_, she thought as she grasped the door knob. _Fuck! I almost kissed her! I'm such a dumbass. She's probably not into me like that._ Jane stopped. _Wait… what? Shit._ She leaned forward to rest her forehead on the cool door of Maura's bedroom. _Jesus Christ Jane… Just admit it. You like Maura… You LIKE Maura… You REALLY LIKE Maura… Like LIIIKKKEEE Maura... In THAT way… _Jane took a deep breath… _No… you LOVE Maura... You actually really love Maura… In THAT way. Jesus! You should stop being such an ass and say it… Out loud. _A wave of nervous emotion flooded through her body, sending tingles of electricity right through to the nerve endings. She squeezed the door knob harder, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and whispered "I love you Maura". She released the pressure of her fist on the door knob, before bringing her other hand up to press it flat against the cool, white door. Her eyes popped open as she took another deep breath, "I'm in love with you Maura" she whispered, staring at a spot on the door. As the words floated out of her mouth, Jane felt very light. In fact, if she hadn't have been holding the door knob, she probably would have floated away. Tears prickled in her eyes as a smile drew across her face. Nothing would ever be the same for Jane from this moment on. She wasn't scared, in fact, she felt very brave… Invincible. She quietly laughed to herself, before snapping out of her reverie on hearing her mother yelling from the kitchen. "JANIE, QUIT SCREWING AROUND AND GET THE BLANKETS!" With a frustrated growl, Jane bellowed back "ALRIGHT MA! JESUS!" A satisfied grin settled on her face as she twisted the door knob, pushed the door open and entered Maura's bedroom.

With an easy familiarity, Jane reached to the wall beside Maura's door, and switched on the light. A soft reddish glow from strategically placed wall sconces filled the room. Maura had once explained to her that the best kind of lighting to induce sleep came from red LED bulbs, as red was the only colour in the spectrum that did not disrupt the production of melatonin, an essential hormone in the regulation of several body systems as well as the synchronization of circadian rhythms and sleep. Jane puffed her chest out; _I guess Maura is rubbing off on me_.

Jane had been in Maura's bedroom only a handful of times. But each time, it smelled the same. Chanel No 5 and cinnamon. Jane's brain began to melt as she was swept away by the aroma, her olfactory system kicking into overdrive. The scent was an intoxicating combination that worked in perfect harmony with Maura's body chemistry and personality. Sophisticated and sweet. Jane paused for a moment, completely wrapped up in thoughts of Maura. The way her golden brown hair cascaded in delicate waves over her shoulders and back; how it seemed to dance in the sunlight. The way she would shimmy her shoulders when she talked about anything daring or risqué. The way her legs looked when she wore those million-dollar, sky-high Jimmy Choos. Tight pencil skirts and silk blouses. The way her dimples shaped her face whenever she laughed or smiled. How her eyes twinkled whenever Jane caught her looking at her. The way her body seemed like it had been poured into the latest Alexander McQueen… How each curve filled her dress in all the right places, tempting Jane with her hourglass figure… _Fuuuuck…_ Jane chided herself as she looked around the red-tinged room… _Right… errr… cold… blankets_. She shook her head slightly and reached to grab a fluffy blanket from the foot of Maura's bed.

With the blanket firmly tucked under her arm, Jane moved onto the next bedroom. The guest room. Her room. Jane gently pushed the door open, and felt for the light switch with her left hand. The soft yellow light blinked on and Jane adjusted her eyes to the brightness. She glanced around the room and quickly spotted a couple of lavender blankets folded perfectly across the foot of the double bed. Jane thought back to the first night she ever spent in this bed. It was during the time when Charles Hoyt had first escaped from prison, menacing the Detective, with promises of "finishing the job". Jane had never been more scared in her life. She sought out Maura, seeking comfort. The Medical Examiner showed how big her heart was that night by not only letting the Detective stay, but laying down with her to assuage her fears. Jane would never be thankful enough for what Maura did that night. She smiled at the memory. Looking back, it was probably the first time she felt any stirrings of desire for her best friend. _Shit_, she ruminated; _I'm in love with my best friend._ The smile on her face dropped, as a sense of dark foreboding washed over her. She suddenly felt scared again. Scared like she was the first time she was in this room. _What if Maura doesn't feel the same way? I can't bear to lose her friendship like I almost did over Doyle. _Jane shifted to sit down on the soft, feather-topped bed. She ran her long fingers through her hair and looked around. The room was soft, just like Maura. A perfect retreat from a crazy world, just like Maura. _If I only knew how she felt about me, then this problem would be solved_. She flopped back on the bed, her mind working overtime, trying to come up with different ways of sussing out the Medical Examiner's feelings.

Hearty laughter drifted up the hallway and into the guest bedroom. Jane quickly sat up. A smile made its way across her face. Despite having the crappiest week in the entire history of crappy weeks, Jane, in this moment felt very peaceful. All the people she loved most in the world were under one roof, laughing and chatting, despite the very shitty circumstances. As she let this thought settle into her mind, Grumpy Jane was gone. She sighed and let out a small giggle. _Jesus fucking Christ. What a day_, Jane mused. She leaned over and pulled the two blankets into her arms. She stood, her body weary, and made her way out of the room, flicking off the light before shutting the door.

She continued her journey up the hall to the third bedroom. Despite having been all over Maura's house over the years, Jane had never ventured inside the third bedroom. Well, she assumed it was a bedroom. Maura had told her once that her home had three bedrooms. Jane stood outside its door, wondering what this bedroom looked like. She sighed with contentment. _No doubt it's perfectly decorated, just like the rest of the house._ As she raised her hand to take hold of the door knob, Jane felt a sense of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. _Curious_, she thought. She was struck with an impossible notion. _Oh God… this had better not be Maura's home autopsy room._ Jane swallowed hard, before gingerly turning the knob. As she carefully inched the door open, she felt a gush of cool air on her face. _Oh Jesus Christ… She has a morgue in here_. With much trepidation, Jane opened the door enough to allow her arm to reach in and feel around the wall for the light switch. As the light filled the room, Jane pushed the door open further. She stepped into the brightly lit room and quickly scanned the unfamiliar space. Her eyes stopped in the center of the room. As her brain registered what she saw, a smile as wide as the horizon was plastered on her face. Blood rushed to her cheeks as a warm red blush burned across her face. _Oh Maura…._

Jane stood in silence, unable to breathe as she stared into the center of the room. Her blush deepened as all sorts of strange thoughts came into her mind. The muscles in her stomach tightened as her heart began to race. She was in a trance for several minutes before she heard her mother calling from the kitchen. "JANIE! BLANKETS! NOW!" Jane gulped hard as her mouth became bone dry. Still unable to form a response, she inched back out of the room. "JANE!" her mother screeched again.

"Err... yeah... umm... ok... ma... umm... be right there!" Jane called back, her voice cracking as it returned to its normal volume. Walking backwards, her arm clutched the blankets in a vice-like embrace; she bumped her shoulder into the door jamb. _Fuck!_ She felt a sharp pain in her back as it scraped against the metal door catch. Jane turned to face the hallway, raising her hand to switch off the light. She took another quick glance around the room. A fire lit down low in her belly. Her body twitched again. _Fuuuuuuck_... she groaned. Jane's body become hot with the sudden lascivious images that danced around in her head. She inhaled crisp cool air deeply through her nose, before exhaling with a loud sigh. "Fuck" she croaked again before flicking off the light switch with her finger and stepping out into the hallway, noiselessly pulling the door closed behind her.

Jane felt like she was walking in slow motion as she tiptoed back down the hallway. If you had asked her why she felt the need to tiptoe back into the kitchen, she couldn't, in all honesty, tell you. As she was about to take the final step into the kitchen, Jane stopped and took a deep breath. _OK Rizzoli. Cool, calm and collected. Don't look at Maura. Whatever you do, don't look at Maura. Don't look at Maura._ She replayed the mantra over and over in her head. A Zen master would have been proud. "Oh Jane! Thank you for collecting the blankets" Maura said, turning away from the kitchen sink to face the tall Detective. Jane stopped. Everything stopped. Her brain, her heart, time. Everything. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The only thing that happened was a rush of blood to her face, as an uncontrollable flood of blood filled her cheeks. Maura moved to stand in front of her, tilting her head to the side, concerned with Jane's flushed appearance. "Jane? Are you OK?" She asked, her eyes scanning Jane's face for a hint of why she might be blushing. Maura reached out to touch her arm, caressing it with light gentleness. _Answer her you idiot! _Jane chided to herself. So she did the only thing she could in that moment, she nodded. Maura smiled and ran her hand down Jane's forearm, taking her hand in her own. "Well then. Will you please pass the blankets out? The hot chocolate is almost done". Jane nodded again as she forced a smile. Maura let go of her hand, turned and went back into the kitchen. It was only then that Jane breathed. _Fuuuuuuuck….._

Jane carried the blankets into the lounge room, passing them out to the very grateful men. She quickly raced into the kitchen, opening the freezer, pulling out Maura's ice cold bottle of Grey Goose vodka. Jane quickly uncapped the bottle and took a swig. The ice-cold liquid scorched her throat as it trickled down into her stomach. She hissed at the after-burn before taking another larger swig. _Jesus Christ. This shit burns like the fires of hell._ Her stomach felt like a nuclear furnace. _One more should do it._ Jane brought the bottle to her lips and chugged a couple of times. For a split second, she thought the fiery liquid, combined with her nervous stomach would see her vomit all over Maura's pristine kitchen. Jane took a couple of deep breaths as she recapped the bottle and placed it back in the freezer. "Jane? Is everything ok? Did you need something in the freezer?" Maura asked, concern written over her face.

"N…no… Maura… I'm all good" Jane replied. _Well, I'm all good now. _Jane retreated from the kitchen, the vodka taking hold in her blood stream. Feeling much more relaxed, she took a spot at the end of Maura's sofa, sitting in silence as the men around her bickered back and forth about baseball, basketball and sports in general. Despite the flavorless Russian spirit relaxing her body, Jane could not get Maura off her mind, and the harder she tried to stop, the more that images of Maura popped into her head. Jane was starting to get uncomfortably warm when she felt a slight tap on her knee. "You all right Janie?" asked Frankie, leaning over to speak quietly to her. "Hmmm?" replied Jane, taking a moment to focus on her brother speaking to her. "I asked if you were all right. You seem a bit… spacey. You OK?" he inquired again. Jane looked at her brother, seeing concern fill his face. His brow was wrinkled a little as he began to rub her knee. "Oh yeah," she replied, her voice so husky that it was almost inaudible, "I'm ok. Just tired. You know… long week" she forced a smile to her face to show her younger brother that she was indeed, OK. Frankie squinted, searching Jane's face for any hint that she was not feeling well. His eyes relaxed and he smiled, moving to sit back in the single armchair. "Well, if you're sure then Janie. If you have something to say, you know, you should just say it". Jane looked at her brother, this time with a genuine smile on her face. "Thanks little brother. I might just do that". Frankie beamed an incredible, white smile at Jane and gave her a quick wink. "OK! Hot chocolate everyone. Jane, get your feet off the coffee table" announced Angela, manoeuvring into the lounge room balancing a tray of hot drinks in her hands. Maura followed with a tray of sweet treats. She sat on the sofa next to Jane, whose face began to redden again. "Jane would you like a pastry?" asked Maura, reaching for a small pastry on the tray. As she turned back to face Jane, she asked "Are you OK? You're all red in the face again". Jane's eyes widened as her brain kicked into gear to try and come up with an appropriate response for the Medical Examiner. _No Maura, I'm not fine. I've just discovered tonight that I am completely in love with you_. "Err… No… Yeah… I'm fine Maura… Just… Just… uhhh… getting a bit hot," Jane hesitated, "You know, with the fire and blankets and stuff". Maura merely stared at Jane, as if trying to determine if the answer Jane gave was satisfactory. She smiled again, as she passed the small pastry to Jane. She nodded thanks, before taking a tasteless bite of the treat. Maura turned back to the group, and Jane was able to breathe again.

Light banter filled the warm room as the group consumed their hot chocolate and pastries. "Angela, this hot chocolate is so good. What's your secret?" asked Korsak, filling his mouth with flaky pastry.

"I always add a little rum and Kahlua… Just for a little kick" winked Angela. Jane sighed to herself. _Oh Jesus Christ. Not Ma and Korsak._ The group laughed again, and spirits were getting high with the warmth of the room and the alcohol in the hot chocolate. Maura stood, grabbed the empty tray and started back to the kitchen. "Jane, would you help me with the mugs please?" she asked the Detective. Jane held her breath again and nodded. She stood up and gathered the dirty mugs to take back to the kitchen.

Maura stood at the sink, rinsing off the used plates as Jane entered the kitchen. Fortified by the icy vodka and alcohol in the hot chocolate, Jane decided she had to act. _I have to say something to her. I can't just keep nodding my god damn head whenever she asks me a question_. Jane took a very deep breath, and slowly exhaled. _It's now or never kid. Strap your balls on and stop being a fucking wimp._ She placed the tray of mugs on the bench and without a sound, walked up behind Maura, placing her two hands on the Medical Examiners hips. She gently squeezed them as she angled her head to whisper in Maura's ear. The Medical Examiner stiffed as Jane husked into her ear, "Maura. I found something in one of your bedrooms…" Maura tilted her head a fraction before answering, "Oh! What… what… did you find?" Maura's cheeks began to turn pink, tingles of electricity ran down her spine as Jane breathed into her ear. Jane's fingers dug into Maura's hips as she pressed her body flush against the back of the Medical Examiner. In almost a whisper, Jane answered her. "Why didn't you tell me you had a stripper pole?"

Maura stiffened as her breath became shallow. Several seconds ticked by before she could reply. Jane kept her body pressed against the woman in front of her. Heat began to build between the two bodies. Maura turned her head, "I never had a reason to tell you" she whispered, "But if you like, I can give you a demonstration…" Jane's eyes widened as her mouth went dry. Maura winked and ever-so-slightly pushed her hips back into Jane's. _Two can play at this game Missy_, Jane scoffed. Jane's fingers released their grasp from Maura's hips and her hands began to snake around the front of the Medical Examiner's stomach. Jane pulled her closer, and held her for a while before whispering into the shell of Maura's ear, "I'd like that," _Let's do this Rizzoli! _Jane thought resolutely. She slid her hands up Maura's stomach to rest just below the Medical Examiner's breasts. "… To see you whirling and twirling around that pole wearing nothing but a smile and a black thong," Jane began to rub the underside of Maura's breasts with her thumbs as she continued to rasp huskily into her ear, "… Me watching you slide up and down that pole… Turning me on… making me…. wet," Jane drawled, "Would that turn you on Maura? Would you do that for me, Maura? Do you want to make me wet for you?" Maura shivered as Jane breathed into her ear. She could do nothing but grip onto the sink and nod slightly. Her breath was shallow as Jane gave one last squeeze, causing a soft moan to escape the Doctor's lips. Jane laughed quietly and released her hold on the trembling Medical Examiner before turning and heading back to the lounge room… with a very broad smile on her face.

Maura struggled to compose herself before she headed back into the lounge room. After a cool glass of water, her breathing returned to normal and she moved back into the lounge room, turned the lights down until the glow of the fire was the only light in the room. With bellies full of food and hot chocolate, it seemed that everyone was starting to get weary. The flickering of the fire lulled everyone into a drowsy trance. Light snoring emanated from Korsak, who had taken a position in one of Maura's single armchairs. Frost had decided to spread out over the floor, right in front of the fireplace. Jane smiled languidly at him. Jo Friday took up residence along-side of Frost. Frankie was slouched low in Maura's other armchair, blanket pulled over his head. Angela sat at one end of the sofa, legs tucked under her, fast asleep. Jane let out a whispered laugh. Her mother could never handle liquor; it always sent her straight to sleep. Jane was seated at the other end of the couch, leaning up against the arm rest, with her feet stretch out, resting on a pillow on the coffee table. The only part of her that was not covered by the soft woolen blanket were her socked feet. She had just started to drift into sleep when Maura plonked herself on the sofa beside Jane, bumping her awake. "Maura," Jane grizzled, "I'm trying to sleep. And there's a whole sofa, why are you sitting so close?" Maura lifted the blanket that covered Jane and scooted under it. "Because there are no blankets left, and this particular one is big enough for us to share… and besides," Maura lowered her voice, "… after what you just said to me, one would think you wouldn't mind it"

"Uhh… Errrr…. fine…. Maura…" Jane muttered. The Medical Examiner moved closer in to Jane as she pulled the blanket up to her chin. She sighed in contentment as she burrowed into the sofa.

Jane remained silent as Maura huddled in to her side. Any sliver of bravado that filled Jane earlier had now completely disappeared. She couldn't speak, even if she wanted to. _If I open my mouth I'm gonna puke_. _I'm so nervous….. Why am I nervous? Fuuuuuuck…_. "Good night Jane," murmured Maura, resting her head on the edge of Jane's shoulder. "Errr… yeah… Night Maura" Jane exhaled. _Great. Just fucking great. GOD! Why did I have to say anything about that stripper pole? _Jane sat very still as she pondered what her next move with Maura might be. _Do I risk our friendship and tell her how I feel? Or should I keep it to myself… It'll go away eventually. But FUCK! You just said that you want her to get you WET! On a fucking stripper pole! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST RIZZOLI… You are the world's BIGGEST dumbass. _Maura took a deep breath and nuzzled into Jane's shoulder. _God… she's so soft, _mused Jane, _and she smells so fucking good. Oh Jesus Christ! I shouldn't have said anything about the damn stripper pole because now you're getting turned on with her sitting right next to you. Fuuuuuuck!_ Jane growled at herself internally. _I gotta get some sleep. Things will be better in the morning. _Jane yawned and allowed the warmth of the fireplace, and Maura, to lull her into sleep.

_What the FUCK?_ Jane woke up with a start. _I must have drifted off. Oh God! My arm! _Jane felt pins and needles stabbing into her arm and hand. _Maura laying on me must have sent my arm to sleep._ Jane tried squeezing her hand into a ball several times to try and get the blood circulating again, her hand painfully started to regain its feeling. _Ow! FUCK! _Jane screamed internally. Jane's slight movements woke Maura. "Mmm… Jane," Maura whispered in a half-moan, "What are you doing?" Jane froze as Maura snuggled back into her shoulder.

"M… my arm…. It fell….. asleep" murmured Jane, "God dammit… I just need to…." Jane squirmed a bit more, finally pulling her arm from underneath Maura, "… get some blood flow happening". Jane started to shake her arm and squeeze her fingers into a ball. "Paresthesia ," Maura mumbled.

"What?" replied Jane

"Paresthesia… When your arm falls asleep. Also, it has nothing to do with blood flow. It's merely a nerve in your arm being impinged"

"Oh… OK… Well it hurts like a son-of-a-bitc…." Jane almost replied as she felt Maura lift her arm up and over her shoulders. "Is that better?" Maura yawned.

"Uh… uh…. Yeah" husked Jane.

"Good night Jane"

"Hmm? Oh… Night Maur"

Maura pulled Jane's tingling arm further around her shoulders and nestled in to Jane's side. Maura snuggled her face into Jane's neck. It was at this exact moment that Jane's heart stopped beating. She was held her breath. She felt Maura's hand creep across her stomach to grasp her waist. She let out a deep breath and smiled. _God I love this woman_. She tightened her grip on the Medical Examiner and rested her cheek on the top of Maura's head. As she slowly drifted off to sleep again, Jane whispered in a low voice, "I'm in love with you Maura," placing a soft kiss on the doctor's head. She felt Maura give a slight squeeze around her waist, before she heard the Medical Examiner whisper into her neck, "I love you too, Jane… and in response to your question in the kitchen earlier, my answer is yes…"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As requested by a few people out there. This was tricky to write (and took a long time) as it's quite challenging to write down a description of a pole dancing routine. After watching a few youtube clips, I have a new found admiration for the ladies who perform on these poles. I hope I was able to do them justice. (On a side note, if you were wondering, the song that Maura was dancing to was Madonna's "Justify My Love", because a) it's a pretty sexy song and b) I always imagined that Maura's guilty pleasure would be to rock out to Madonna. This is un-beta-ed, so obviously, I am responsible for any and all mistakes. If you happen to find some, please let me know so I can fix it up. Also, being an Aussie, again I have tried to keep all idioms generic, so if there is something that you don't understand, please let me know. Enjoy :)**

"Jane? Jane? Rizzoli? DETECTIVE RIZZOLI!" squawked an increasingly frazzled Detective Vince Korsak. "Are you gonna do some work or are you gonna stare into space all day?" He demanded, as he pottered around the room with an armful of manila folders.

"Huh? What?" Jane replied as she pulled her head out of her hands and turned in her chair to look at her old partner.

"Are you gonna do some goddamn work or just sit there?" he asked again gruffly, his finger pointed at Jane's desk. Jane stared at him blankly before she looked down at the stack of case files placed in the tray on her desk. It took a moment for it to register with Jane that she was at work. "Oh… yeah…. yeah… I'm on it" she mumbled back to Korsak. "About time," he grumbled as he shuffled off toward the door. Jane grabbed the top folder, opened it, sighed and began to read. It didn't take very long, however, for her mind to drift back over the events of the past week.

If she had to sum it up, Jane would probably say that it had been the greatest week of her life. She had never felt so happy, fulfilled, satisfied and exhausted in all her 37 years. Even the thrill of chasing down a suspect and sending them off to jail for their crime was nothing compared to how this week had left her feeling. Varied intense emotions ran through her body, making the world seem brighter, more colourful... as if her senses had been cleared. Of course, Maura explained to her that this feeling was merely due to the release dopamine, oxytocin and other "feel good" chemicals by her brain. But Jane didn't care. She felt great, on top of the world even.

The week had been extreme, to say the least. From the moment she had quietly confessed her feelings to Maura, snuggled up on the sofa, Jane felt truly alive. The giant wall that she had built to stop herself from feeling anything had been completely obliterated. And after hearing Maura confess her feelings, Jane felt ten feet tall. Unexpected relief washed over her when Maura told her how she felt... the weight of Jane's feelings, that she wasn't aware she had, was lifted. A few days ago, while having a late night deep and meaningful conversation with Maura, in bed, completely naked, Jane realised the true extent of her feelings. She understood now why nothing in her life fit. She was a jigsaw puzzle with a piece missing. Now, it seemed, Maura was her missing piece. Her life had changed in a matter of minutes, in one flash of insight, her "a-ha" moment. She knew that nothing was ever going to be the same and she wouldn't want it any other way. Jane wouldn't have said that she was scared... in fact; it was more like a thrill. Like 50 000 fireworks going off in her body simultaneously... noisy and confusing, highly combustible and dangerous, yet addictive and beautiful… so, so beautiful. And that was just her feelings.

Then of course, there was the sex. Jane blushed slightly as she thought about it, seated at her work desk. She idly tapped her pen on an open folder in front of her. _Oh the sex_. The only word Jane could think to describe the sex was frequent. Of course, she giggled internally, it was mind-blowing and she had never had so many orgasms in her life. She'd never felt so satisfied and compatible with a partner than she was with Maura. _Yes. Frequent_ she thought to herself. Frequent… as in twice a day… morning and night, regardless of how tired they were. _Making up for lost time? _Jane had pondered one day, over a chocolate chip muffin. Sometimes it was three or four times a day. A couple of times they had been so worked up that Maura's office and bathroom become the setting for all-in, no holds barred, bone-shaking, door-rattling sex. Maura desperately clutching the armrests of her chair while Jane was on her knees between her legs. Jane leaning up against the basin in Maura's office bathroom, frantically grasping at the faucet behind her for stability, as Maura attacked her body with her wicked mouth and tongue. _Jesus Christ, _thought Jane, noting the familiar stirring between her thighs,_ I gotta stop thinking about this. I like a fucking horny teenager. _It was funny, they both ruminated over one morning coffee, that despite neither having been with women before, it hadn't taken them long to work out the what's, whys and how's in the bedroom. _That's the best part_; Jane smiled to herself, _discovering so many different ways to drive Maura insane with pleasure_.

"Jane!" Korsak yelled from the office doorway, "Quit ya day dreaming, we got a call" Jane jumped, startled at the tone of his voice.

"Oh shit. Yeah, yeah…." She trailed off, _Right, work mode Rizzoli. _She took a deep breath before standing, slipping her gun into its holster and pulling her jacket off the back of her chair. "Let's go, old man"

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The door to Maura's Beacon Hill home swung open as a cold, wet and miserable Jane Rizzoli entered the house. She stamped her feet to knock caked mud and snow off her feet before taking a step inside the house. She quickly shrugged off her winter coat, blazer, un-wrapped her scarf and kicked off her boots. What she thought was going to be a boring afternoon of paperwork turned out to be very stressful and busy. An easy but time-consuming case had popped up during the middle of the day. It was fairly straight forward, an angry wife stabbing her slob of a husband to death with a kitchen knife. She confessed at the scene, making life easier for the cold, weary detectives. The interrogation and subsequent written confession was over quite quickly, however the associated paperwork for the case, including the findings of the Medical Examiner's Office had taken several hours. Jane grizzled when she noted that Doctor Allan was on the afternoon shift in the morgue. It's not that Doctor Allan was useless like Doctor Pike. It was just that he was slower than Boston peak-hour traffic. Doctor Allan, meticulous to the point of fastidiousness… but incredibly slow… Jane could have taken 10 weeks holiday, come back to work and he would still be processing the body.

Eventually, in the early evening, much to the relief of Jane, Doctor Allan had finished his report, allowing her to close off the case file. _So much for having dinner with Maura,_ Jane thought to herself. She fired off a quick text message to Maura, informing her that because she was going to be late, she would have dinner with Frost and Korsak at the Dirty Robber. Maura's reply came quickly, with the usual "I understand. Eat something green. See you later on"

A couple of hours and a couple of beers later, Jane arrived at the Medical Examiner's house. Having made her way inside the warm and welcoming home, Jane made a beeline straight for Maura's fridge and her favourite beer. She sighed wearily as she quickly uncapped the bottle and took a large swig. Placing the bottle onto a drink coaster on the kitchen bench, Jane began untucking her button-down shirt. "Maura?" Jane called out. Hearing no response, she picked up her beer and headed towards the hallway. "Maura?"

"I'm in here Jane," a muffled reply drifted down the hall. Skulking up the hallway_, _trying to unbutton her shirt with one hand, Jane mumbled, "Where the fuck is here?" _I'm too fucking tired to play hide-and-seek _Jane sighed, wanting only right now a hot shower and to curl up in a warm bed with an equally warm body beside her. She sucked on the bottle once more before hearing a gentle thud coming from down the hall. "Maura," Jane called, "Are you ok?"

"Ye…. Yes!" answered Maura, her voice slightly rising.

"Where are you?" Jane grumbled. She continued down the hall, turning to head into the master bedroom. She placed the half empty bottle of beer on Maura's dresser before pulling the shirt off her shoulders on her way to the ensuite bathroom. "Ugh! I've had the WORST day!" Jane called out in the general direction she had heard Maura, "First we got a case, but that was easily dealt with. Then there was the mountain of paperwork. The kicker though? Doctor Allan. God Maura, why do you employ that guy? He's good, but Jesus is he slow!" Jane went quiet, waiting for Maura to respond to her. Maura didn't respond, so Jane merely shrugged her shoulders and hung her shirt on the bathroom doorknob. She trundled over to the sink to freshen up. Jane gave herself the "once over" in the mirror, running her hand through her wild hair, frowning at the few stray grey hairs she saw. She leaned in close to the mirror and examined her skin, taking careful note of the wrinkles that she seemed to have gained in the last few days. As she turned on the faucet, she idly picked at a stain on her grey tank top. _How the fuck did THAT get there?_ She snorted to herself. Looking in the mirror she had only one thought. _You're a fucking slob Rizzoli. How the fuck does Maura put up with you?_ She snorted to herself again before holding her hands under the warm water and splashing it on her face. She quickly flipped off the faucet and dried her face with the softest towel known to mankind. Jane heard another gentle thud coming from somewhere in the house. "Maura? Is everything alright?" Jane called out, dropping the towel on the sink before heading into the bedroom and grabbing her beer. She took another swig before she turned and left the bedroom. "Jane? Can you come in here please?" Maura called softly.

"Where are you Maura?" asked Jane, poking her head into the guest bedroom.

"I'm in the third bedroom…" Maura trailed off.

Jane froze. _The third bedroom. Oh…. Oh…. Ohhh…_ The realisation that Maura was in the third bedroom hit Jane like a wet fish to the face. _She's in the third bedroom. The third bedroom. The one with the…. stripper…. pole._

For the second time in a week, Jane began to tiptoe up the hallway. She approached the third bedroom, noting the faint light that emanated from behind the half open door. "M…Maura?" squeaked Jane, poking her head around the edge of the door. A husky "Come in and sit down Jane" floated out from somewhere in the room. Jane swallowed hard, trying to dislodge a very hard ball that had suddenly become stuck in her dry throat. She took a large chug of beer before carefully stepping into the room.

It took a little bit for Jane's eyes to adjust to the dim room. She saw a chair sitting in the centre of the room. "Maura?" Jane called softly.

"Sit down, Jane" came the low, husky reply. Maura's sweet, sensual voice propelled Jane towards the chair. She sat down quietly and took a deep breath. She blinked a couple of times before shakily bringing the beer bottle to her lips. As the amber liquid hit her lips, Maura materialised out of nowhere and stood behind Jane. She leaned forward over Jane's shoulder and whispered; "You wanted to know if I wanted to get you wet by watching me dance on a stripper pole" Jane quickly took a sip of beer and nodded, shakily bringing the bottle down to rest on her thigh. _Fuck! If I keep shaking I'm gonna spill my beer._

"Well Jane, I know I only nodded, but now I would like to answer your question fully. Right… now" Maura breathed into the shell of Jane's ear. She rested her hands on Jane's shoulders and gently began to massage them, squeezing the tense muscles with her soft, warm hands. Maura lowered her head and took Jane's earlobe between her teeth, biting down gently. She tugged at the lobe, before letting it go. "Are you ready?" she whispered. Jane shivered. All she could do was nod, as she had lost the ability to speak. Jane heard the rustling of Maura's clothes as she moved away. Jane took the opportunity to have a very long pull of her warming beer. _Holy shit_ she breathed. She wiped the bottom of the bottle across her thigh, leaving a trail of cool condensation on her pant leg. Jane gripped the bottle tighter as she shifted back into the chair, sitting very straight.

A heavy, sensual beat began to fill the room. As the beat continued, soft light from sconces embedded in the walls, rose, gently lighting the room to a soft pink glow. Jane's heart began to thump faster, in unison with the music. Jane held her breath, both nervous and excited about what Maura was about to do. She jumped as she felt Maura's hand on her shoulder. It slid across the top of her shoulders as Maura moved around to the front of the chair. All Jane could do was shudder.

Maura stood in front of Jane, wearing a white buttoned shirt that came down just past her panties. Naked thighs blended into black- leather, knee- length vinyl stiletto boots. She wore very little make-up aside from dark coloured eye shadow and bright red lipstick. Her usually finely coiffed hair was tousled and hung haphazardly over her shoulders. Jane always thought Maura was incredibly beautiful. But looking like this, she was truly breathtaking. Jane ran her eyes up and down the length of Maura's body. _She is perfect, _Jane thought to herself. She smirked at Maura, not only to indicate that she was pleased, but to convince herself that she wasn't quickly turning in to a heaving puddle of wanton heat.

Maura winked and smirked back at Jane as she began to sway her hips in time with the music. She slowly twisted down to her haunches, before she repeated the motion back up. Jane swallowed hard, trying to shift the hard knot that remained in her throat. Jane watched in stunned silence as Maura's hands began to undo the buttons on her shirt from the top down. "I think I remember you saying something about a black thong and a smile?" Maura chuckled, releasing the final button, before turning her back to Jane and slipping the shirt off her naked shoulders to halfway down her back. She once again shimmied to the ground as the slipped the white shirt off her arms. She slowly shimmied back up. She turned back to face Jane, one arm strategically placed over her chest and flung the white shirt into the stunned Detective's lap.

Maura turned away from Jane, the muscles in her back flexed and pulled as she lifted her arms to run her hands through her hair. Her movements were sleek like oil as she swaggered over towards the pole, kicking her hips out, swaying in time with the music. She cheekily peeked over her shoulder at Jane, whose jaw had dropped. She giggled as she stepped up onto the small platform and reached for the pole.

Jane licked her lips and unconsciously sat forward in the chair, bunching Maura's shirt tightly in her hand.

As the sensual moans from the music became louder, a small set of multi-coloured lights at the base of the podium began to brighten.

Maura grabbed the sparkling chrome pole with one hand as she began to slowly strut around the pole, flicking her high-heeled foot out. She tilted her head back and swayed it in time with the music. As she continued to swagger around the pole, she swung her left leg out, using the momentum of the action to twist her body around the pole, switching her legs so that the pole was now tucked into the back of her right knee. With her leg tightly grasping the pole, she bent herself backwards until her hair brushed the ground. A long, slender hand, tipped with blood-red nail polish ran up from the side of her black panties, across a taut, pale stomach, over her pronounced ribcage, cupping her full breast; a dusky, hardening nipple caught between fingers. She moaned in time with the vocals of the music.

Jane squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, feeling her lower body begin to pulse. She crossed her legs in an attempt to stifle the persistent pounding, but it only caused to her quiver more.

Maura straightened up, before her hands reached high up the pole. She jumped and pulled herself up the pole, her legs wrapping around the chrome bar, crossing to hold her in position. She let go of the pole and slowly leaned back. Jane could see Maura's stomach heaving and flexing as the Medical Examiner remained completely steady as she performed the sensual manoeuvre. Maura's hands ran down over her stomach, brushing over her bare-chest, before running down through her hair.

Jane's heart was pounding furiously as she admired the core strength Maura possessed. _I'm gonna have to be careful with her… Her thighs are so strong she might snap me in half_, Jane mused, smiling.

Without any effort, Maura leaned back up towards the pole and gently spun herself down to the ground. She held the pole in one hand as she swung herself around the pole as the musical beats thumped through the room. _Thank god I'm wearing a tank. I'm sweating like a fucking pig. God this woman is hot._ Jane swore to herself. She brought her warm bottle of beer up to her lips to take a very big gulp of the bitter, amber liquid. Jane felt a stirring between her thighs. It seemed that her challenge to Maura was readily accepted and taken on with full gusto. Maura swung herself around the pole several more times, the sensuality of her movements causing Jane to put her hand over her mouth. _Fuck that's hot._ As her momentum swung her elegantly around the pole, Maura pulled her legs up and tucked them under the backside, her body appearing to float around the pole. She was completely fluid in her movements, as if she had been doing this kind of dancing her whole life.

On the last turn around the pole, Maura daintily landed on her two feet, her back to Jane, her hands still grasping the chrome pole. She planted her two feet near the base and reached up the pole, just above her head. She angled her ass out before slowly dropping it towards the ground. She pulled herself forward and began to pull herself up the pole. Jane released the breath she didn't realise she was holding. Her hand dropped from her face down into her lap. As she watched Maura slide up the pole, she looked down to her beer bottle and noticed that she had unconsciously tucked her hand between her legs so that it was resting on the pulsating apex between her legs. _Jesus fucking Christ!_ Jane chided, _Look at what you're doing. You're a fucking sleaze_. She removed her hand and grasped the loose fabric of her pants. She takes a final swig of her bottle, before carefully setting it down behind the front leg of the chair.

Jane looked back to Maura, who was now swaying her whole body in sync with the music. Her soft, golden brown hair was swishing from side to side as she would squat down, her hands firmly gripping the pole, thrusting her backside out towards Jane. She rolled her body back up, before rolling back down again and repeating the hypnotic motion. Her hips rocked back and forth as Jane took in a perfect view of Maura's scantily clad derrière. _It's not a black thong, but its close enough,_ Jane giggled to herself, her eyes wandering over the small piece of black fabric, stretched across Maura's firm behind.

The Medical Examiner twirls herself around the pole again, stopping just before she is front on to Jane. She turns so her back is pressed against the pole. Jane licks her lips as she takes in the sight of her bare-chested, sweaty girlfriend. Maura widens her legs before grasping the pole above her head. As the music pulses out of the hidden sound system, Maura lowers her body, opening her knees so that her backside is almost touching the floor. She slides her back up and down the pole, her thighs and biceps straining as she repeats the action. _HOLY FUCKING MOTHER OF GOD! Breathe, Jane. BREATHE._

Jane shudders slightly as she silently watches Maura. For the first time since she had started her dance routine, Maura glances over to Jane. She smiles, watching as Jane rubs her hand back and forth along her thigh, her hand moving dangerously close to the point between her thighs. Seeing that Jane is getting so turned on by her movements, Maura takes her free hand and slowly draws it up her own thigh, up her toned, pale stomach to cover her breast. Maura rocks her hips in slow, wide circles, as her hand copies the action with her breast. Her eyes close, allowing the intoxicating feeling of being thoroughly turned to overtake her body. She moans deeply as she once again grasps her nipple between her fingers. Drunk on pure lust, she opens her eyes to again look at Jane, who had one hand moving to cup her pounding and slowly moistening mound, her other hand rubbing across the top of her thigh, near her knee.

Maura turns back to the pole, happy that she achieving the required result, and again twirls around it. She sways her hips as her twirling motions become even more slow and sensual. On her final twirl, she gracefully lands on her knees, this time front on to Jane. Maura winks as she parts her knees and slowly rolls her upper torso backwards. Jane swallows hard, taking in the full view of Maura. She looks like the waves of the ocean as she rolls her body up and down; back and forth. As she moves, Maura rubs her hands over her upper torso. The moans emanating from Maura causes Jane's lower body to ignite. _Fuuuuuuck._ _I'm so turned on right now. God she's good at this. _Jane's fingernails dig hard into her thigh as she watches Maura start to rub her hands up her thighs and over her own crotch towards her chest. Although she can't yet feel it, Jane knows, with 100% certainty, that she is wet with unadulterated want.

Maura sways her hips in time with the thud of the music. She bites her lower lip, before looking directly at Jane, grasping, groping and squeezing her firm breasts, moaning softly as she half-closes her eyes… enjoying the sensations she is administering on herself, imagining Jane is touching her… Knowing that Jane was watching her touch herself causes her lower belly to rumble with desire. Knowing that what she was doing was making Jane wet, made her own body react in a similar fashion. Her hands move higher, up around her neck before pulling through her long, golden hair. She opens her eyes again, before smirking and winking at Jane.

Maura raises herself to her knees still swirling her hips in time with the music, looking Jane directly in the eyes. Jane moves her hands to grasp at the sides of the chair as she uncrosses her legs and sits forward. Jane's chest heaves as she tries to catch her breath. As the steady beat of the music begins to subside, Maura slowly stands. Jane's jaw drops again as she takes in the sight of her half-naked goddess girlfriend standing in front of her. The music fades and Maura begins to slowly walk forward towards Jane. The clip of her heels quickly slows Jane's erratically fast heartbeat. As Maura takes the final step, Jane scoots back in the chair, her hands still holding tight to the sides of the chair. Maura quickly takes her place straddling Jane's thighs, gently lowering herself to sit in her lap. Maura's hands tenderly run up Jane's stiff, bare arms to find a place intertwined behind Jane's neck. Jane's grip on the sides of the chair relaxes as she lets go to run her hands up and over Maura's naked thighs to rest lightly on her hips.

With the slightest of movements, Maura begins to slowly roll her hips in Jane's lap. She leans forward to whisper, "So Jane….. What did you think?" Maura's hot breath in her ear sends a shiver down Jane's spine, causing goose bumps to pop up all over her arms and neck. Her fingernails dig into to the warm silky flesh of Maura's hips, as they continue to make slow, lazy circles in Jane's lap. She leans back from Maura, to look the Medical Examiner in the eyes. She smirks at her, large dimples forming in her cheeks. "Well…" she drawls, "I don't know Maura. Why don't you find out?" she winks.

Before Jane has a chance to breathe, Maura dives forward to capture her lips in an earthshattering kiss. Her hand quickly shoots down the front of Jane's pants. Jane stiffens at the intimate contact. She groans into Maura's mouth as she feels the Medical Examiner's fingers swirling through her most tender parts. Maura's breath quickens as she assesses the effectiveness of her performance.

"Oh Jane…."


End file.
